Can amitriptyline cause hair loss?

Human hairs keep growing throughout their life. Hair undergoes a cyclic transformation. There is a growth phase (anagen) phase of relative rest (telogen) followed by hair shedding (catagen). It takes about seven or more years for hairs to complete a cycle.

It means that during a lifetime, hair grows and falls many times. Different hairs are in different phases. Some are growing, others resting, while others are ready to fall.

Thus, it is normal to lose about 100 hair strands a day.

Since the hair growth cycle is so long, environmental toxins and medications may accumulate in them, causing harm or hair loss.

Summary

• What is amitriptyline?
• Amitriptyline’s uses
• Can amitriptyline cause hair loss?
• Other medications that can cause hair loss

What is amitriptyline?

Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant. It means that doctors prescribe it to treat depression.

It is one of the old gen antidepressants, unlike selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Thus, these days, doctors are not likely to recommend it as a first-line depression treatment. Instead, doctors are more likely to prescribe it when other antidepressants that are relatively safe fail to help.

Amitriptyline has multiple uses

In recent years, amitriptyline has found many other usages. For example, it is commonly used to treat nerve pains, back pain, and body aches caused by stress. Sometimes, doctors may also use it to prevent migraine attacks.

As one can see, amitriptyline is good for managing chronic health disorders. However, it means that person is quite likely to use the medicine for months and even years. This prolonged use of the drug increases the risk of chronic toxicity.

Amitriptyline, unlike over-the-counter medications, can be:

• toxic
• cause weight gain
• hair loss
• even interact with other drugs.

Can medications cause hair loss?

Yes, medications might be the cause of hair loss. However, they cause hair loss only in a small number of cases. Moreover, drug-induced hair loss only occurs during prolonged use when it has sufficient time to affect hair growth.

Thus, hair loss is more likely due to medications that a person needs to take daily for months or years.

Hair loss due to medications differs from androgenetic alopecia

Hair loss due to medications differs from male pattern hair loss or female pattern hair loss. When hair loss is due to medications, it is diffuse hair loss.

Medications may cause thinning hairs over time. Acute hair loss may occur due to medications, but it is extremely rare.

Studies confirm that medications can cause hair loss

One of the observational studies in 255 females presenting with diffuse hair loss found that some of the medications causing hair loss were:

• antihypertensive
• hormones
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• antidiabetics
• antitubercular
• antidepressants

Thus, people may experience hair loss with valproic acid, drugs for mental health, when using:

• some new medication
• drugs to treat depression
• even acne medications.

Since medications cause slow and diffuse hair loss, they may go unnoticed initially. Hence, those who experience hair loss must always share their medical history with doctors and complete information about their medications.

Amitriptyline and hair loss

As already mentioned, that amitriptyline may cause hair loss. However, it causes hair loss in an extremely small number of cases, perhaps less than 1% of the cases. It is only likely to cause diffuse hair loss on prolonged use.

Since it causes hair loss only in a small number of cases, it is not the reason to refuse the medications.

Although there are many reports of hair loss on regular use of antidepressants, nonetheless, hair loss due to these medications is a rare phenomenon.

Amitriptyline causes hair follicle stress in some individuals

Although researchers are unsure why hair loss occurs in some instances, they think it is due to the accumulation of these medications in the hair follicle.

Prolonged use of amitriptyline causes significant stress on the body and hair follicles. This may disrupt the hair growth cycle in genetically susceptible individuals, causing early onset of telogen or resting phase.

Thus, prolonged use of amitriptyline appears to cause the so-called telogen effluvium. In telogen effluvium, hair thinning and diffuse hair loss are quite different from hair loss caused by fungal infections or male pattern baldness.

Amitriptyline may cause other side effects, and one can learn more about them at the NHS website.

Is the hair loss permanent?

Fortunately, hair loss due to medications or amitriptyline is not permanent. It means that such a kind of hair loss is reversible with timely measures. But, of course, considering the period of a hair growth cycle, it may take considerable time to reverse the hair loss entirely.

However, if a person, for some reason, fails to take measures, hair loss may even be permanent. This occurs due to the death of hair follicles.

Not all commonly available medications help with hair regrowth

Here it is vital to understand that many commonly advertised remedies for hair loss may not help in telogen effluvium. Most of those remedies like minoxidil or drugs like finasteride work for androgenetic alopecia. They also help with male pattern baldness, but not with hair loss caused due to amitriptyline.

Many may benefit by discontinuing the drug

In the case of hair loss due to amitriptyline, one can benefit by discontinuing the medication. Additionally, nutrition therapy may also help.

Thus, supplements containing vitamins and minerals and a high-protein diet may help.

Some people may also benefit from stress management. This would not only help improve hair growth but also reduce the necessity of amitriptyline.

For example, one may start physical exercise and practice yoga to reduce stress and reverse stress-related hair loss.

What to do if I cannot change my medications?

Some people who experience hair loss due to amitriptyline may have difficulty changing the medicine. However, if one does not change or discontinue using it, it may result in permanent hair loss.

Fortunately, many medications can replace amitriptyline. Those medications work quite like it, but still, they have different chemical structures and safety profiles.

It means that those who experience hair loss due to amitriptyline would not essentially experience hair loss due to other antidepressants.

Does a person need a hair transplant?

As a rule, hair loss due to medications can be reversed by discontinuing those medications. Additionally, one may also benefit from conservative treatment and nutrition therapy.

However, in rare cases, irreversible hair loss may occur due to irreversible damage to the hair follicles. In such cases, one may need a hair restoration procedure. Generally, for such individuals, FUE is the better choice.

One of the best places to get a hair transplant in Poland is Europe Surgery.

Hair transplant surgery can help diffuse hair loss and help improve hair density. Can you get a hair transplant repair? Yes.

Can amitriptyline cause hair loss?

Yes, it can. But you should always seek professional medical advice before acting, or speak to to your healthcare provider.

If you have experienced hair loss due to amitriptyline, it may be a good idea to get a hair transplant in Poland.

One of the best clinics in the country is Europe Surgery. It is a clinic with some of the best hair transplant surgeons on the continent.